Flexible strand sideframe conveyor



Nov. 28, 1961 R. F. LO PRESTl FLEXIBLE STRAND SIDEFRAME CONVEYOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1958 INVENTOR. Roy F Lo Presti ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1961 R. F. LO PRESTI FLEXIBLE STRAND SIDEFRAME CONVEYOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1958 INVENTOR. Roy F LoPresci Fig. 4'

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,010,567 FLEXIBLE STRAND SIDEFRAME CONVEYOR Roy F. Lo Presti, Chicago, 111., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 8, 1958, Ser. No. 734,048 2 Claims. (Cl. 198-192) The present invention relates to flexible strand sideframe conveyors, and more particularly, to an improved flexible sideframe conveyor wherein the effective overall height of the conveyor may be lowered while maintaining the effective working height thereof at substantially the same height as in prior art conveyors.

In the prior art type of flexible strand sideframe conveyors, the supporting structures for the flexible strand means of the conveyor project vertically above the strand means and position the strand means above the troughing assemblies which are supporting the conveying reach of the conveyor belt so that the upwardlyprojecting supporting structure positions the flexible strand means above the troughing assemblies.

it is'the primary object of the present invention to decrease the eflective overall height of a flexible strand sideframe conveyor without materially changing the effective working height of the conveying reach of the conveyor belt of such conveyor to thereby provide a structure especially well adapted for low clearance operations.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide supporting structures for flexibly supporting the conveying reach of a conveyor belt of a flexible sideframe conveyor at a desired effective working height which is substantially the same working height as in prior art type conveyors, but wherein the eflective overall height of the conveyor of the present invention is lower than the effective overall height of the prior art type conveyor.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a connecting means for connecting the end portions of the troughing idler assembly of a flexible sideframe conveyor to the flexible strand means of such conveyor so that at least the end portions of the flexible troughing assembly are disposed in a substantially horizontal plane that is vertically spaced above and substantially parallel to a second horizontally disposed plane that is substantially common to the flexible strand means of the conveyor.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide the troughing assemblies of the flexible sideframe conveyor with a connecting means which includes an elongated member that is secured to the associated flexible strand means and projects generally vertically upwardly therefrom in relationship to the course along which the conveyor is trained so that the troughing assemblies are positioned vertically above the flexible supporting structure to effectively decrease the overall height of such conveyor.

it is a still further object of the present invention to provide the troughing assemblies of a flexible sideframe conveyor with a connecting means for connecting the troughing assemblies to the flexible strand means of the conveyor in upwardly spaced relationship thereto so that the (roughing assemblies will tilt in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt that is supported by the troughing assemblies as the conveyor belt moves thereacross so that the troughing assemblies will automatically re-train an oil center portion of the conveyor belt toward the longitudinally extending center of the conveyor course.

It is a still further object of the present invention to 3,010,567 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 provide connecting means for connecting the troughing assemblies to the strand means of a flexible sideframe conveyor so that the troughing assemblies are positioned above the strand means and the supporting structure for the strand means in order to eliminate any possibility of the longitudinally extending side edge portions of the conveyor belt from coming into contact with the strand means and the supporting structure therefor as the conveyor belt moves along the course of the conveyor.

Another object of the present invention is to position the supporting structure and flexible strand means of a flexible strand sideframe conveyor below a generally horizontally disposed plane which is substantially common to the troughing assemblies of the conveyor and transversely within the longitudinally extending confines of the conveyor.

An additional object of this invention is to position the flexible supporting structure for the conveying reach of the conveyor belt in a definite vertically spaced relationship to the relatively rigid supporting structure for the return reach of the conveyor belt and to maintain this definite vertical spacing of the supporting structures throughout any vertically adjustable change in the effective overall height of the conveyor.

In order to accomplish the desired objects, the present invention provides a connecting-securing member which is carried by the flexible strand means and projects generally upwardly and inwardly relative to the course of the conveyor. The troughing assemblies are connected to the upwardly inwardly extending end portions of the connecting-securing members so that the troughing assemblies will be disposed in a generally horizontal plane that is generally vertically upwardly spaced to a second generally horizontal plane that is common to the flexible strand means and the upper end portions of the strand supporting structures. Further, the idler structures for the return reach of the conveyor belt are relatively rigidly secured to vertically adjustable members of the supporting structures in a definite desired vertically spaced relationship to the flexible strand supporting structures for the conveying reach. This enables the flexible strand supporting structures for the conveying reach and the relatively rigid supporting structures for the return reach to be maintained in the desired vertically spaced relationship when the vertically adjustable members are positioned to define the overall effective height of the conveyor.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification following taken with the drawing, which together show and describe a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings herein, and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially as they fall Within the scope and spirit of the sub-joined claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side elevational view'of the flexible sideframe conveyor having the improvements according to the present invention embodied therein;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the directionof the arrows and illustrating the details of the connecting-securing member for connecting and securing the troughiug assembly to the strand means of the conveyor; and v FIG. 4 is a portion of a cross-sectional view, simila to FIG. 2, illustrating the relative positions of the strand supporting structure of this invention as contrasted to prior artconveyors.

Attention is now directed to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing wherein a flexible Strand sideframe conveyor is illustrated. The conveyor 19 includes a pair of transversely spaced generally parallel flexible strand means 12-12 trained along a given course and supported at longitudinally spaced locations by a plurality of support structures. or stands 14, :only one of which is illustrated for the sake of brevity. Each of the support stands 14 comprises a pair of transversely spaced, generally vertically extending upright support members 16-16 which include an upper member 18 and a lower member 20 which are telescopically arranged to enable the respective support member 16 to be longitudinally adjustable in order to give a definite desired height to the conveyor 10. The stand further comprises a ground-engaging base member 22'which is secured, as by welding, to the lower end portion of the lower member 20, a cradle element 24 secured, as by welding, to the upper end portion of the upper member 18 which receives the strand means 12, and thereon, a position securing means 26, such as a nut and bolt or the like, which retains the upper 18 and lower 20 members in a desired selected adjusted position inorder to place the conveyor It} at a desired height. A relatively rigid spacer member 28 extends generally transversely of the conveyor course and is secured to each of the support members 16 to maintain the support members in transversely spaced relationship to each other.

A plurality of bodily flexible troughing roller assemblies 30 extend generally transversely between the spaced strand means 12-12 and are each supported thereby at locations thereon which are longitudinally spaced from the locations where the strand means 12-12 are supported by the cradle elements 24 of the support stands 14. The troughing assemblies 30 and the strand means 12-12 flexibly support a conveying reach 32 of an endless conveyor belt 34 for longitudinal movement along the conveyor course. The return reach 36 of the conveyor belt is relatively' more rigidly supported by idler structures '38 which extend generally transversely of the conveyor course and which are further independently and separately supported in longitudinally spaced relation to the troughing assemblies 30 by mounting'pl'ates 40 which are secured to the lower end portion of the upper member 18. This arrangement of structure provides a desired controlled and fixed relative vertically spaced relationship between the flexible supporting structure (strand means 12-12; troughing assemblies 30) for the conveying reach 32 and the relatively rigid supporting structure (idler structures 38, mounting plates 40) for the return reach 36 of the conveyor belt and enables the controlled and fixed vertically spaced relationship to be maintained during any verticaladjustable movement of the upper members'1'8' and lower members 20" of the support members 16 to position the conveyor 10 at a desired effective working height.

'In' order to effectively decrease the overall height of the conveyor 10 and to position the upper end portion of the-upper members 18, the-cradle elements 24 and the strand means 12-12 generally below and substantially within the confines of the conveyor 1! without decreasing the'desired flexibility of the conveyor or the effective worleing height thereof, there is provided connesting-securing members 42-42 for connecting the end portions of the troughing assemblies 30 to the associated adjacent strand means -12. This structure enables the end portions of the troughing assemblies 30 to be 7 positioned in a generally horizontal plane that is substantially above' a second horizontal plane common to a securing portion 44 which, as illustrated, may be in the form. of a U-shaped bight, opening generally transversely outwardly and. downwardly relat-ive to the. conveyor course, in order to engage the associated adjacent strand means 12. A clamping means 46, which may be in the form of a wedge means or the like, is provided to clamp the strand means 12 within the U-shaped bight of the securing portion 44. The clamping means 46 passes through aligned openings 48 in the U-shaped bight portion and Wedges the strand means 12 therein. Further, the connecting-securing member 42 is provided. with a connecting portion 50 which may be in the form of an elongated arm, as illustrated, which extends generally inwardly and upwardly relative to the conveyor course and swivably connects the end portions of the troughing assembly 30 to the associated adjacent strand means 12-12 through a double articulated connecting means 52. The connecting means 52 in this instance is a chain link which enables the end portion of the troughing assembly 31) to which it is attached to flex in a plane generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor.

It is believed to be evident from the above described structure that by reason of the upstanding connecting portion 5% of the connecting-securing members 42 that a major portion of each troughing assembly will be positioned above a generally horizontal plane that is common to the pair of strand means 12-12 and also that the cradle elements 24 and strand means 12-12 are disposed substantially below a generally horizontal plane that is common to the connecting means 52.

In order to provide sufficient stability to the so positioned troughing roller assemblies 30, each of the connecting portions 50 are of substantially triangular configuration in longitudinal dimension relative to the conveyor course with the base portion thereof being adjacent to and, as disclosed, integral with the securing portion 44. The apex portion thereof is elongated and projects generally transversely inwardly to define a part of the double articulated connecting means 52.

Each of the troughing assemblies 30 further includes a plurality, as illustrated three, of substantially aligned, flexibly interconnected roller elements 54 forming a troughing roller assembly which are positioned intermediate a pair of relatively rigid bar members 56 which are longitudinally spaced and generally transversely disposed relative to the conveyor course. The bar members 56- are secured at their end portions, as by welding, to the base portions of the connecting portions 53 of the respective connecting-securing members 42.

The flexible interconnection of the adjacent ends of the roller elements 54 and the associated relatively rigid bar members 56 of the troughing assemblies 3!)- enables the troughing assemblies to be effective in troughing action toreadily trough under varying load conditions on the conveying reach 32 and also to be effective to re-train the conveying reach'from an oil center condition due to any differential downward deflection of the strand means 12-12 by increasing-the troughing angle on the lower side of the conveyor 10. Further, any independent movement of the flexible strand means 12- 12 relative to each other is controlled through the relatively rigid bar members 56. In addition, the bar members 56 also restrict the movement of the end portions of the troughing assemblies 30 relative'to each other at.

the transversely spaced double articulated connections 52 while permitting the end portions of the troughing assemblies 30 to move with the associated connecting-securing member 42 and strand means 12 at the connections 52 during flexible movement of the troughing assemblies intermediate the connections 52. This enables the desired troughing effect to'transversely shift and vary the troughing angle to conform to varying load conditions and re-train the conveying reach 32 of 34 from an ofi center condition, as stated above.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 4 wherein it is believed that the advantages of the structure of the instant inventive concept is clearly illustrated. A conthe conveyor belt veyor of the prior art type of assembly is illustrated in dotted lines. In order to position the troughing assemblies 30' of the conveyor 10 in a position that corresponds to the position of the troughing assemblies 30, it is necessary to extend the support stands 14 and have the cradle elements 24 positioned substantially vertically above a generally horizontal plane which is common to the double articulated connections 52'. It is believed that a comparison of the conveyors 10 and 10, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, will show that the structure of the improved flexible strand sideframe conveyor It) enables the comparative effective over-all height of the conveyor to be decreased a distance illustrated as D, and there is no structure which projects above and beyond the confines of the conveyor '10.

FIG. 4 also illustrates that there is actually no substantial difference in the efiective working height of the troughing assemblies 30 and 3!) yet by incorporating the connecting-securing members 42 it is possible to decrease the efiective overall height of the conveyor 10 by a distance D and to position the cradle elements 24, support Stands 14 and the strand means -1212 below the generally horizontally disposed operative plane of the troughing assemblies 30 and within the confines of the conveyor 10.

While the invention has been described in terms of an embodiment which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention should not be deemed to be limited by the precise embodiment herein shown, such other embodiments being intended to be reversed especially as they fall within the scope of the claims here appended.

I claim:

1. A Wire rope belt conveyor for use in low head room environments such as low seam coal mining which retains the vertical flexibility of the conventional high clearance chain link serially connected idler assembly without interfering with the return reach of the conveyor belt, said wire rope belt conveyor including, in combination, a pair of wire ropes trained in generally parallel relationship along a conveying run, wire rope support means supporting the wire ropes at a level substantially below the conventional wire rope elevation, at least one return roller assembly for supporting a return reach of an endless conveyor belt, and a plurality of troughing idler assemblies for supporting a conveying reach of the endless conveyor belt a substantial height above the wire ropes, at least one of said troughing idler assemblies including a roller assembly comprising a plurality of rollers interconnected for flexing movement in a generally vertical plane with respect to one another, and means for connecting the roller assembly by its end portions to the wire ropes therebelow, said connecting means comprising a pair of elongated, bodily rigid roller assembly suspending members extending a substantial distance upwardly from the wire ropes, one from each wire rope, each of said roller assembly supporting members having, at its upper end, a transversely inwardly extending portion, means for connecting the roller assembly by its ends to an adjacent inwardly extending portion of each suspending member a substantial distance above the level of the wire ropes to thereby prevent interference between the rollers and the return reach of the belt and reduce the danger of catching objects in the pocket formed between the edge of the belt and the wire ropes, means for securing the roller assembly suspending members to the wire ropes which prevent displacement of the suspending members in directions generally parallel to the wire ropes, and brace means for maintaining the suspending members a fixed distance apart laterally of the conveying run and in the same relative position one to another under substantially all conditions of load.

2. The low clearance, high flexible wire rope belt conveyor of claim 1 further characterized in that the brace means includes at least one substantially rigid spreader extending between and secured to the suspending members beneath the troughjng contour of the upper surface of the roller assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,748,301 McKinlay Feb. 25, 1930 2,179,187 Kendall Nov. 7, 1939 2,773,257 Craggs et a1. Dec. 4, 1956 2,798,591 Stamos July 9, 1957 2,851,151 McCallum Sept. 9, 1958 2,875,886 Lo Presti et a1. Mar. 3, 1959 2,896,774 Long et a1. July 28, 1959 

